menu_open Columnists
Mitch Shin

Mitch Shin

The Diplomat

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

North Korea Launches SRBMs Ahead of APEC Summit in South Korea

Amid speculation of a North Korea-U.S. summit on the sidelines of the APEC meeting, North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday.

wednesday 4

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

North Korea Hosts Military Parade With China, Russia Looking On

North Korea Hosts Military Parade With China, Russia Looking On

Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, North Korea showcased its newest ICBM.

14.10.2025 20

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Korean President Hosts Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister

Days before the leadership election of Japan’s governing party, Ishiba Shigeru visited Busan to meet South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.

30.09.2025 3

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

US Pushes South Korea to Strengthen Self-Reliance

Amid the formation of the China-North Korea-Russia coalition, South Korea is now facing unexpected challenges created by its own ally.

30.09.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Korean President Introduces His Vision for Inter-Korean Relations in UN

Three months after taking the presidency, Lee Jae-myung introduced the "END" initiative during his address at the United Nations.

25.09.2025 3

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Kim Jong Un Says Denuclearization Is off the Table for North Korea

During a speech at the Supreme People’s Assembly, the North Korean leader again ruled out the possibility of using his nuclear weapons as bargaining...

23.09.2025 4

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

North Korean Leader Inspects Unmanned Weapons Performance Test

Kim Jong Un showed his tit-for-tat move against the latest South Korea-U.S. military drills.

20.09.2025 40

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Kim Yo Jong Warns Against Japan-South Korea-US Joint Military Drills

North Korea’s hawkish statements over the annual military drills will likely work as justification for upcoming missile tests.

16.09.2025 5

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Korean President Holds Press Conference to Mark 100 Days in Office

Lee reiterated his vision to restore the country’s democratic system, while also touching on foreign policy issues.

12.09.2025 6

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Trump’s Policies Strain South Korea-US Alliance

The shocking detention of 300 South Korean employees in Georgia shows how little the Trump administration values the “ironclad” alliance between...

09.09.2025 3

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Kim Jong Un Attends China’s Military Parade

Standing next to China’s leader Xi Jinping during the event, the North Korean leader showed off his leverage in the region.

04.09.2025 20

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

PPP’s New Leader Vows to ‘Bring Down’ the Lee Jae-myung Administration

Despite the removal of Yoon Suk-yeol, a pro-Yoon lawmaker has become the leader of the main conservative party in South Korea.

03.09.2025 40

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

North Korea Rejects Denuclearization Talks With US

A day after releasing a statement rejecting the South Korean government’s dialogue approach, Pyongyang sent a message to Washington on its baseline...

30.07.2025 5

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

North Korea Has ‘No Interest’ in Talking to Lee Jae-myung

For the first time since South Korea’s new president assumed office, Pyongyang explicitly nixed the Lee administration’s pro-dialogue approach to...

28.07.2025 2

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Pro-Yoon Lawmakers Announce Bid for People Power Party Leadership

Despite Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment, the party continues to back him – meaning pro-Yoon figures have the inside track for winning the PPP's...

24.07.2025 4

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

2 of President Lee Jae-myung’s Minister Nominees Withdrawn From Candidacy

South Korea’s president hit an early stumble when controversies ensnared his nominees for education minister and gender equality minister.

23.07.2025 3

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Koreans Show Increasing Support for President Lee Jae-myung

Lee’s approval ratings have exceeded 60 percent, surpassing his 49 percent vote share in the June 3 election. 

19.07.2025 3

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Korean President Holds Press Conference

A month after his election, Lee Jae-myung reiterated his will to “rebuild” South Korea.

07.07.2025 4

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Korean President Nominates Prime Minister and Ministers

Lee Jae-myung has nominated 17 out of 19 ministers – and one of them was part of the Cabinet of his impeached predecessor.

01.07.2025 8

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Korea’s New President Begins Diplomacy With Flurry of Calls

Within a week after his election, Lee Jae-myung talked with the leaders of the United States, Japan, and China over the phone.

10.06.2025 5

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Polls: Lee Jae-myung to Become Next President of South Korea

Riding a wave of public outrage against Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law declaration, Lee won a landslide victory in the election on June 3.

04.06.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

The Top Priority for South Korea’s Next President

In the wake of Yoon Suk-yeol’s poor performance, the country has severely been polarized. Now the public hopes the new president will integrate the...

23.05.2025 7

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

After Last-Minute PPP Drama, South Korea’s Presidential Campaigns Officially Kick Off

The candidates are set, despite some twists in the ruling party’s primary process. Now the 21-day presidential campaign has officially begun.

14.05.2025 3

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Lee Jae-myung’s Presidential Bid Is Safe After Court’s Decision to Postpone Trials

The heavily favored opposition candidate will now be able to run in the upcoming snap election, despite a shocking intervention from the Supreme...

08.05.2025 4

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Kim Moon-soo Elected as PPP’s Presidential Candidate

Despite his victory in the People Power Party’s primary elections, he will likely be sidelined as a candidate in the coming days.

06.05.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

PPP’s Primary Presidential Election Down to Final 2 Candidates

The conservative People Power Party has narrowed its slate down to two candidates: Kim Moon-soon and Han Dong-hoon. But it might be a third man who...

30.04.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Lee Jae-myung Elected as DP’s Presidential Candidate

After setting a record for the share of votes received during the party’s primary elections, Lee aims to win the presidential election scheduled on...

29.04.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Han Duck-soo’s Risky Negotiation With Donald Trump

Han and his ministers are rushing to sign a trade deal with Washington, but their primary job as an acting government is to maintain a status quo. 

24.04.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Will the PPP’s Attempt at an Anti-Lee Jae-myung Coalition Work?

Would-be presidential candidates within the ruling People Power Party are looking to form a big tent to prevent the opposition leader from becoming...

18.04.2025 20

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Will the PPP Survive After the Snap Presidential Election?

The polls show the opposition leader will win a landslide victory, but the ruling People Power Party still maintains its stance that Yoon’s martial...

15.04.2025 4

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Constitutional Court Upholds South Korean President’s Impeachment

The Constitutional Court upheld Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment. As of April 4, Yoon is no longer president of South Korea and a snap election must take...

04.04.2025 7

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Constitutional Court Overturns Impeachment of South Korean Prime Minister

Ahead of the ruling on the South Korean president’s impeachment, the Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment of Han Duck-soo.

24.03.2025 3

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

What’s Behind the Constitutional Court’s Delayed Verdict on Yoon Suk-yeol’s Impeachment?

The Constitutional Court is taking longer than expected to issue its ruling. South Koreans are divided over how to interpret the delay.

19.03.2025 20

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

As ROK-US Drill Began, North Korea Fired Ballistic Missiles 

Pyongyang fired several ballistic missiles into the sea to confront the joint military drills between Seoul and Washington.

11.03.2025 3

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Yoon’s Martial Law Declaration Was Bad. What He Did Next May Have Been Worse.

As Yoon Suk-yeol embraces the rhetoric of far-right extremists, South Korea has become deeply polarized and political violence is on the rise.

07.03.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

What South Korea Is Learning From Trump’s Approach to Ukraine

Following Washington’s “American First” approach on diplomacy, South Koreans are expected to show more support for nuclear development.

05.03.2025 20

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Constitutional Court Closes Impeachment Hearings for South Korea’s President

The six-week trial has ended. Now, the Constitutional Court will decide whether to uphold Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment. 

26.02.2025 7

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Holds 1st Meeting With US Secretary of State Rubio

On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul held a meeting with his counterparts from the U.S. and Japan.

19.02.2025 6

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Who Are the Potential Candidates to be South Korea’s Next President?

Should the Constitutional Court uphold the impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol, who will run for the presidential election? 

12.02.2025 8

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Will Kim Jong Un Meet Trump Again?

Pyongyang has made clear its nuclear weapons are no longer negotiable but its strategy can be recalibrated depending on Washington’s approach.

10.02.2025 5

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Korean President Attends Impeachment Trial

Despite his refusal to appear for questioning in the CIO's investigation, Yoon Suk-yeol attended the impeachment trial held by the Constitutional...

21.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Pro-Yoon Rioters Attack Courthouse After New Arrest Warrant Against the President

In the wake of the court’s decision to extend the detention of Yoon Suk-yeol, his supporters used violence against the police and stormed the...

20.01.2025 9

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Koreans Separate Support on PPP and President Yoon

Despite the public’s support for impeaching the South Korean president, the ruling People Power Party just outpolled the main opposition Democratic...

16.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

North Korea Launches SRBMs Toward Its Eastern Waters, South Korea Says

Eight days after Pyongyang launched a hypersonic ballistic missile, it fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the sea.

14.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Over 300 North Korean Soldiers Have Died in Russia’s Kursk Region

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported that more than 300 North Korean soldiers were killed fighting against Ukraine, while more than...

13.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

North Korea Launches Suspected Hypersonic Ballistic Missile

On January 6, North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Monday’s...

06.01.2025 6

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Investigators Fail to Arrest South Korean President

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) failed to detain South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on January 3, three days...

03.01.2025 4

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

Arrest Warrant Issued Against South Korean President Yoon

On December 31, a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was impeached by the National Assembly...

31.12.2024 10

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

179 Killed in Airplane Crash, South Korea’s Deadliest

At 9:03 a.m. KST on December 29, a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok carrying 175 passengers and six crew skidded off the runway of the Muan...

30.12.2024 3

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

South Korean Acting President Han Duck-soo Impeached

On December 27, the South Korean National Assembly passed a bill calling for the impeachment of South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is...

27.12.2024 5

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin